Enjoying the waterfowl in Western North Carolina

Published: Sunday, February 24, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, February 21, 2013 at 11:24 a.m.

Duck Day is always popular. When birding here in Western North Carolina, looking for ducks and geese is not one of the activities that immediately spring to mind.

The mountains are rich in many bird species, such as warblers and other woodland birds, but ducks? Aside from the ubiquitous Canada goose and abundant mallard, the only wild duck we can regularly expect during the summer months is the beautifully plumaged wood duck. However, during the winter, searching for ducks does seem a little more worthwhile. As the weather gets colder, as it has certainly done this year, the migrating waterfowl fly down from the north.

Although the number of waterfowl here in the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas cannot compare with the vast flocks along the East Coast, we still manage to attract a reasonable selection of birds on some of the larger rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Here, if the water remains open throughout the colder months, we can expect small flocks of geese and ducks on many stretches of water.

A group of us met in South Asheville recently to head out and look for ducks on the more duck-infested lakes in WNC. From Lake Osceola to Lake Junaluska, we scanned the open waters, finding a great selection of waterfowl. A huge number of gadwall, a somewhat cryptically colored duck, were feeding in the shallows of Lake Osceola, while ring-necked duck, American wigeon and a small group of redhead fed out in the center of the lake.

The now famous Thomas Marsh on Four Seasons Boulevard is always a great place to see ducks, with the cover of vegetation that enables many of the shyer species to feed and rest in peace. Unfortunately, on this day it was completely ice-covered, so there were no waterfowl present at all.

The most regularly occurring species in our mountains include a mix of dabbling and diving ducks, and we finished the day with about 14 species — not bad for being this far from any large bodies of water.

What were the highlights? Well, the flock of more than 75 migrant ruddy ducks on gray and cloudy Lake Junaluska was impressive, as were the hooded mergansers on several lakes and at least three northern shovelers on Lake Osceola.

As the winter conditions slowly ebb, many of these ducks will begin to head north, and during any storm or bad weather conditions, many will find any patch of open water to rest and feed before continuing their northward journey. If the urge strikes you, drop by your local pond when the weather is vile. You never know what surprises might drop by. The full trip report for our Duck Venture is on our website: www.birdventures.com.

<p>Duck Day is always popular. When birding here in Western North Carolina, looking for ducks and geese is not one of the activities that immediately spring to mind.</p><p>The mountains are rich in many bird species, such as warblers and other woodland birds, but ducks? Aside from the ubiquitous Canada goose and abundant mallard, the only wild duck we can regularly expect during the summer months is the beautifully plumaged wood duck. However, during the winter, searching for ducks does seem a little more worthwhile. As the weather gets colder, as it has certainly done this year, the migrating waterfowl fly down from the north.</p><p>Although the number of waterfowl here in the mountains and foothills of the Carolinas cannot compare with the vast flocks along the East Coast, we still manage to attract a reasonable selection of birds on some of the larger rivers, lakes and reservoirs. Here, if the water remains open throughout the colder months, we can expect small flocks of geese and ducks on many stretches of water.</p><p>A group of us met in South Asheville recently to head out and look for ducks on the more duck-infested lakes in WNC. From Lake Osceola to Lake Junaluska, we scanned the open waters, finding a great selection of waterfowl. A huge number of gadwall, a somewhat cryptically colored duck, were feeding in the shallows of Lake Osceola, while ring-necked duck, American wigeon and a small group of redhead fed out in the center of the lake.</p><p>The now famous Thomas Marsh on Four Seasons Boulevard is always a great place to see ducks, with the cover of vegetation that enables many of the shyer species to feed and rest in peace. Unfortunately, on this day it was completely ice-covered, so there were no waterfowl present at all.</p><p>The most regularly occurring species in our mountains include a mix of dabbling and diving ducks, and we finished the day with about 14 species — not bad for being this far from any large bodies of water.</p><p>What were the highlights? Well, the flock of more than 75 migrant ruddy ducks on gray and cloudy Lake Junaluska was impressive, as were the hooded mergansers on several lakes and at least three northern shovelers on Lake Osceola.</p><p>As the winter conditions slowly ebb, many of these ducks will begin to head north, and during any storm or bad weather conditions, many will find any patch of open water to rest and feed before continuing their northward journey. If the urge strikes you, drop by your local pond when the weather is vile. You never know what surprises might drop by. The full trip report for our Duck Venture is on our website: www.birdventures.com.</p>